In Domesday, Codnor was recorded as having a mill. This was a rural
area which has developed as a mining town in the 19th Century. Codnor
lies between Ripley and Eastwood in the Amber Valley.

About a mile from
the town is Codnor Castle, a Norman garrison which was eventually bebuilt as
a stone Keep with a walled defence. The castle was built by William
Peveril and run by the De Gray family. This building is now a ruin. St
James Church is at the top of this long village.